Friday, March 29, 2013

There I was barely sitting on the couch with my gaze pulled into the television picture, wandering back to the computer, dragged back to the television. I was riveted, never
blinking, laughing at how awesome the games were.

Then I woke up.

This was one of the more boring days of the NCAA Division 1
mens basketball tournament, and the latter half of the night was forgettable.

Still, we did get a really good game with East No. 2 Ohio
State and No. 6 Arizona. And that is the one real highlight. But still, please give me a better night of games tomorrow.

Here are my grades for the first day of the Sweet 16.

WEST

No. 2 Ohio State (W)
vs. No. 6 Arizona – A

Ohio State is becoming the 3-point, last-second darlings the
last few games. Another game-winner with time winding down as LaQuinton Ross
capped his 8-minute, 14-point finish from NBA range.

Ross finished with 17 points (14 of Ohio State’s final 17
points), and the Buckeyes needed that performance to get by a very skilled
Arizona team.

The Wildcats had an early lead made possible with defense
before some turnovers led to an Ohio State run. But just when we thought it was
going to be over, Arizona makes a run that included a basket and a foul by Mark
Lyons to tie the game before falling 73-70.

This game is everything you would expect in a Sweet 16. Ohio
State is now a favorite to make the Final Four.

No. 9 Wichita State
(W) vs. No. 13 La Salle – F

In one of the more unlikely matchups, it was one of the more
forgettable games. Wichita State dominated this game.

Up 17-3, it kept abusing the paint and grabbing the boards.
The Shockers had a 44-to-23 advantage on the glass. And that was only half the
way they showed that they were the stronger team.

But at this point, I think Wichita State/Ohio State is
primed to be a good one.

WEST grade – B

The Ohio State/Arizona game was good enough to keep me
really liking this bracket. And don’t be surprised if Wichita State pushes the
Buckeyes Saturday.

WEST overall grade (through
Sweet 16) – A-

One bad game isn’t about to hurt the grade on this bracket’s
games this year, and it has a chance to finish great with the next game. But I
hope the Elite 8 brings better things.

EAST

No. 2 Miami (Fla.)
vs. No. 3 Marquette (W) – D

The injury of Miami senior center Reggie Johnson was a big
factor into why this game was never really a game.

It is a shame too, because I wanted to see what Johnson
could do. And his loss hurt the chance of an exciting game.

Marquette was able to get easy looks inside, and it was able
to edge Miami on the boards, something that is much harder to do with Johnson
in the lineup.

Marquette won by 10, but it led by 21 at one point. A couple
of late 3-pointers made the score closer than it seemed.

No. 1 Indianavs. No. 4 Syracuse (W) – C+

This game had potential in the middle, but Syracuse’s zone
was a wall for Indiana. Syracuse had 11 blocks and stifled the Hoosiers.

And Syracuse hit some early shots to grab a big lead,
finishing 21-for-48 (43 percent) from the field to Indiana’s 16-for-37 (34).

Indiana made a run and got to within six but didn’t have
enough. The performance of Syracuse’s zone and the prowess of its defense was
impressive, but this game was just a little better than average.

EAST grade – C-

I expected more from these games and was letdown. But the
Marquette/Syracuse match is destined to be a really good one. I definitely see
a possibility of an overtime game, which hasn’t happened yet during this
tournament.

EAST overall grade
(through Sweet 16) – B

What saves this bracket grade is the potential the Elite
Eight is bringing. I expect this grade will go up Saturday.

SWEET 16 Day 1 grade
– C

There was one game out of four that was close into the last
five minutes, and that game was won on a game-winning 3-pointer with two
seconds left.

That moment saved a below-average grade. I found myself
shooting a rubber basketball into a hoop, doing set plays against pretend
opponents, feeling like a lunatic.

The television was just in the background. I kind of want to
sit on the couch tomorrow and say, “Oh!,” play-after-play. Here’s to good
basketball.